A contract is not required, and practically speaking contracts for a few hundred bucks are unenforceable. However, IMHO, the biggest risk in renting for both parties is not understanding all of the issues which might come up, so some sort of a clear agreement is vital for both sides.
I also think the most important thing for any owner to understand in a rental is where their risks occur with
that particular rental. The risk areas may vary from reservation to reservation, because of use year, banking deadlines, etc, etc -- but you'd BETTER know where the risks are.
At a minimum, the agreement should include
- The exact days and dates of the reservation (and I would include the days they will receive T&T and/or full cleaning)
- The names of all guests who will be using the room (your will need that for MS anyway)
- The total price of the reservation
- The method of payment accepted, including who pays any fees involved
- The date and amount a deposit is due
- The date full payment is due
- Specific expectations about what will happen if either the deposit or full payment are not received on time
- A statement that the reservation is non-cancelable and non-refundable (if you are willing to handle cancellations, you should put a drop-dead date after which there can be absolutely no changes)
- I would put a statement that trip insurance is available through third party companies, and it is the renter's responsibility to get trip insurance if they think they might need it.
There are a number of other things you might add, and I'm sure someone will post a link to previous threads which have contained specific contracts people have used.
The key -- IMHO -- is that the contract or agreement be quite clear and easily understood by both parties. I don't like legaleze which can mean one thing to one party and something completely different to the other, and I don't like mushy statements like "We'll work with you to resolve any cancellation issues." Those just give false expectations to the renter and create problems where none existed previously.
I think if you manage rentals in a professional, businesslike manner, as many here do, you will find it is mutually beneficial to both you and the people you rent to.
Good luck.